UVA Curry in Ghent and Eindhoven: International Communication Disorders Research

"Some of the most exciting aspects of my experience abroad were,
being hands-on with a research project, interacting with SLP's from
diverse workplaces, and strengthening my relationships with faculty -
all while soaking up the beauty and culture of Europe!" - El'licia Price

The University of Virginia's Curry School of Education Program in Ghent, Belgium and Eindhoven, the Netherlands gives students the opportunity to be involved in all aspects of an international research project. In order to be eligible for this program, students need to have taken EDHS 4030 Speech and Hearing Science at UVA.

Students will work at the University College Ghent, Belgium analyzing speech samples and spectrograms of special populations. Their research will be focused on discovering patterns in the acoustic characterizations of speech under specific conditions.

At Fontys University in Nijmegen, the Netherlands, students will further focus on acoustic patterns at sentence level. They will also attend lectures and workshops in multidisciplinary collaboration. Finally, they will work together with Dutch students. At the end of their projects, the students will report on their data and findings at a local conference. In both locations, students will attend lectures and visit sites of interest for the field of speech, language, and service delivery.

Once back in Virginia (in the Fall), the students can continue to further work and apply their data.

Location

Located in Flanders, the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium, and once one of the largest cities in medieval Europe, the metropolitan area of Ghent boasts only half a million residents today. Established in 1995, University College Ghent is the outcome of two successful mergers in which fourteen institutions of higher education were involved. The second site for participants is Eindhoven. Located in the south of the Netherlands, this city is home to several universities, including Fontys University, the largest Dutch university of applied sciences. The university has around 44,000 students, over 3,000 of which come from abroad.

Courses

Students participating in the program will receive 6 credits of EDHS 3220 upon successful completion of the course.

Faculty

Filip Loncke is Associate Professor in the Communication Disorders program of the Curry School of Education. He has worked and conducted research both in Europe and in the United States. His research interests include typical and atypical communication, augmentative communication and psycholinguistic processes.

Michael Hull is assistant professor at the Curry School of Education. Dr. Hull teaches several statistics classes, and has served as research advisor for previous international projects.

Accommodation and Meals

In Ghent, students will live in a centrally located hostel. It is a 25 minute walk or short bus ride to Ghent University campus. Breakfast is provided daily and kitchen facilities are available for participants who wish to prepare their own meals. Cafes and restaurants are also nearby. In Eindhoven, the students are also housed in a centrally located hostel with kitchen facilities and access to bicycles. During weekday evenings, the beauty of Ghent and Eindhoven can be explored. During the extended weekends, students can visit major European cities in Belgium, the Netherlands, France, England, and Germany (all within a two-hour train ride).

Cost and Financial Aid

The program cost and payment schedule are listed under the "Budget Sheets" link at the top of this page. Students with identifiable financial need are encouraged to apply for fellowships, scholarships, and financial aid.

Accessibility

The University of Virginia believes in providing reasonable accommodations for students with documented disabilities on an individual basis. If you believe that you would require adjustments in order to fully participate in this program, please contact the Student Disability Access Center at 434-243-5180 as early as possible in order to begin this dialogue.

Passport and Visa

All participants will need a valid passport in order to participate in the program. Students must ensure that their passport is valid at least six months past the program return date. US passport holders will NOT need a visa to participate in this program. International students should meet with their International Student Advisor and Education Abroad Advisor in the International Studies Office as part of the application process.

Health and Safety Information

All students considering Education Abroad should consult the Students Abroad section of the U.S. Department of State’s web-based travel resources and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Traveler’s Health web resources to research health, safety, and security conditions; visa requirements; immunization requirements; and recommendations on staying healthy and safe in their target destination(s). Students should also carefully review the UVA Education Abroad Health & Safety Abroad web page. Parents and guardians are strongly advised to review all of these resources, as well. UVA students and visiting students enrolled in UVA Education Abroad programs are subject to the University of Virginia’s Policy on Student International Travel.